I Know You
by sharinnegan101
Summary: Two friends are reunited at long last. Together, nothing can stop them. (Just so long as one of them doesn't have dissociative identity disorder.) Rated M for violence.
1. Chapter 1

It was late into the night when she finally found her friend.

She had missed her friend so much when they had taken her away, back to the facility. She had struggled. She had cried. She had called out for her friend to come and save her. But they had told her that her friend was gone and that she would never see her again, and that filled her with sadness and rage. And so, she had lashed out in anger, and the floors ran red with their blood. So they had locked her away, and in time, they pulled the plug, and let her die.

Except, well, she didn't _exactly_ die.

A part of her lingered on. It felt strange, at first, like being in a dream. Nothing seemed real to her. Everything she saw, everything she felt, it was all through a haze. But then the doors opened, and people came. And so, the cycle continued. But it wasn't until the door was open and she was face to face with her father that she finally realized her freedom, and as she watched her father burn, the flesh melting from his face, she understood what she was truly capable of.

And now, here she was. Back where she remembered being with her friend. There were so many people in this area, with so many different thoughts and emotions. It was like sifting through a junkyard to find the one item of value.

 _-have to remember to be home by-_

 _-shouldn't eat them so fast, Wanta-_

 _-won't ever guess it was me who-_

But as with any search, if you look long enough, you find what you're after, and she found it, a single thought at a building off the coast. It was a small, broken thought, but that was all she needed to find her.

 _...Alma..._

* * *

General Director Kurama looked up, rubbing the weariness from his eyes. He had caught himself beginning to doze off again. He punched the button on his speaker.

"Kisaragi?"

"Yes, Mr. Kurama?" answered his secretary hesitantly.

"Could you please bring me a coffee?"

"Right away, sir!"

Kurama switched off the speaker, smiling slightly at the eagerness in his secretary's voice. She had worked for him for some time but had yet to lose any of that eagerness that office employees only seem to keep for the first day on the job. Admittedly, she could be a bit clumsy at times, but she always came through for her boss, and he liked that.

Turning back to his computer, he continued looking over the report of today's experiments, instinctively wincing when he read the results of Nana's partial dissection. It hadn't killed her, but reading how Nana had been cut open made him feel uneasy. He knew he shouldn't, but he had come to feel a sense of paternal affection for the Diclonius. He knew better than to admit this, though. If-

His thoughts were abruptly cut off when his phone began to ring. He pressed the speaker button again.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Sir, this is Security. Some members of the staff have just reported some strange sightings, and we feel that you should be notified."

"What sightings?"

"Well, apparently there's someone loose in the facility. A little girl, it would seem."

Kurama frowned, "A girl? Is she a Diclonius?"

"We don't think so, sir. Witnesses claim that she has black hair and a red dress, but no horns."

Kurama sighed. Apparently, someone must have thought it a fun idea to bring their daughter to work and had neglected to keep an eye on the kid.

"Have the guards keep an eye out for her," he instructed, "And bring her to me when she's been found."

"Yes, sir," said the guard, and hanged up.

Kurama settled back in his chair and let out a sigh. The research done at the National Research Institute of Human Evolution was highly confidential, and the rules were quite clear: No friends or family permitted on the island. And now, because that rule had been broken, someone was about to get fired.

 _It's strange though,_ thought Kurama, _That someone could sneak a child onto the facility. The people at the front check-in would have spotted the girl._

Because of this fault in security, more people would probably have to be laid off, and that meant more paperwork for him. Kurama leaned back in his chair and let out another sigh.

Where was his darn coffee?

* * *

Kisaragi stumbled, nearly spilling the coffee. It was surprisingly difficult to balance the coffee mug on the tray, but she would not fail her boss. He had requested a cup of coffee, and Kisaragi would deliver it to him without spilling a single drop! Nothing would go wrong, this time. Ever since she had graduated from the University of Tokyo, Kisaragi had worked hard, feeling honored to have landed a job at the National Research Institute of Human Evolution as General Director Kurama's personal secretary. Things had been difficult at times, no thanks to her heavy-handedness, but Kurama had always treated her fairly, and she had done her best to do right by him. And now, she would deliver him his coffee, and-

The intercom clicked on, surprising Kisaragi and almost making her lose her balance again.

"Attention," said the disembodied voice of the speaker, "A young girl has been seen loose in the facility. She has black hair and a red dress. If you see her, please bring her to Chief Kurama's office." The intercom clicked off.

Kisaragi listened with interest. A girl on the loose? She didn't think that children were allowed on the island, so what was a girl doing here? Kisaragi didn't know, but she would be sure to keep an eye out for this lost child. A lost girl could get hurt out on her own.

As Kisaragi turned the corner of the hall, she noticed something up ahead. Looking up from her coffee, she spotted an individual at the other end of the hall and nearly dropped the coffee in surprise. It was the girl! She was sure of it! She started off toward the child, walking as fast as she could without spilling Kurama's coffee.

"Excuse me!" called out Kisaragi, "Little girl! Are you lost? I-"

The girl looked up, and Kisaragi froze in shock. She had walked halfway across the hall by now and had a clearer image of the girl, and what she saw left her spooked. This girl looked haunted. Her hair was unkempt and disheveled. Her simple, red dress was worn and frayed. Her skin looked gray and pale as if she were dead, and her face was mask-like and expressionless. But it was the eyes that unnerved Kisaragi the most. They were a pallid, sickly, yet piercing yellow, the sort of color that would fit well with a plague victim, but not a young girl.

When Kisaragi had spoken, the girl looked up at her, and now Kisaragi felt as though those pale yellow eyes were drilling straight into her soul. This child reminded Kisaragi of the girl from _Ringu_ , a movie she had watched with some friends a few years ago. She had suffered nightmares for weeks after watching that movie, and now, looking at this girl, Kisaragi feared that she'd have them again.

Nonetheless, this girl was to be sent to Chief Kurama's office. Thinking about her boss helped to slightly ease Kisaragi's nerves. This wasn't the girl from _Ringu_. _Ringu_ was a fictitious movie, and even if it were, Kisaragi hadn't seen any strange tapes. She would be a good secretary, and bring this girl to Kurama!

Kisaragi continued forward. "I need you to come with me," she said. She tried to sound authoritative, but the nervousness could still be heard in her voice.

At first, the girl remained still, but as Kisaragi drew near, the child promptly turned and ran into the nearest room, the door closing behind her.

"Hey, wait a minute! You can't go in there!" said Kisaragi, and she hurried after the child, trying her best to not spill Kurama's precious coffee.

Kisaragi followed the girl into the room, and stopped, looking around. Judging by the large tanks and dials, it seemed that the girl had led her into the boiler room, but before Kisaragi could take a good look around, the door slammed behind her, and the lights flickered out, leaving Kisaragi in complete darkness.

"Oh no!" she cried and turned around trying to find the door. She was able to find it by the thin strip of light illuminated beneath the door, and after carefully setting down Kurama's coffee, (which was starting to get cold,) she began groping for the door handle in the darkness. Pretty soon, her hand found the knob, but when Kisaragi tried to open it, she realized that the door was locked.

A small, childlike giggle echoed across the darkened room. From the girl, no doubt, and though Kisaragi knew that it was just a little kid, she couldn't help but feel a small chill creep up her spine. She began to pound at the door, calling for help, but to no avail. It never occurred to Kisaragi to try and find a light switch. As she was slamming at the door and shouting, a light came on behind her. Surprised, Kisaragi turned around and saw that a single lightbulb had flickered on, albeit dimly, and was casting a dim circle of light in the middle of the room.

Kisaragi squinted. There was something on the floor, right in the middle of the light. She approached it hesitantly and saw what looked like a wooden box. As she bent down for a closer look, she noticed a handle sticking out to the side and realized that it was, in fact, a music box. Kisaragi carefully opened the lid of the box, and found, in addition to the internal clockwork of the device, a small, black and white photograph fitted into the lid like a picture in a frame. She couldn't see it too well in the dim light, but it looked like a tree on hill, with a swing attached.

All of a sudden the music box began to play, and Kisaragi stood up in surprise. The music coming from the box sounded sad and mournful, but at the same time, there was something lurking underneath the mournful notes. Something dark and sinister. Kisaragi sensed a movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up. It was the girl, standing just outside of the circle of light, and though she was shrouded in darkness, her eyes seemed to be glowing brightly, like a cat's.

Kisaragi swallowed a hard lump. "Um, is this yours?" She gestured towards the music box, "I found it lying on the ground. Here, let me bring it to you."

Kisaragi knelt down again to pick up the music box, but as she touched it, the girl's eyes suddenly turned red. Suddenly, there was a bright flash, and Kisaragi stepped back, covering her eyes. When she opened them, she could not believe what she was seeing. She was no longer standing in a boiler room, but on a grassy hill, somewhere in a countryside. Her view was hazy, but Kisaragi could make out a building off in the distance.

But what caught her eye was the gnarled tree in front of her, with a swing hanging from the branch. Shocked, Kisaragi realized that this was the same tree that she had seen from the photo in the music box. But, this couldn't be real. She had just been in the Institution. This had to be some sort of a dream, and yet it all seemed real. She could feel the grass brushing against her legs, could feel the wind in her hair, and could hear...the same, creepy melody from the music box. It was still playing and hadn't stopped when her surroundings had changed.

As Kisaragi grew more used to her new surroundings, she spotted someone sitting on the swing. It was the girl, of course. Her back was turned to Kisaragi, and she appeared to be looking off into the distance towards the building. Once again, Kisaragi approached the girl, this time too scared to speak. If the girl was aware of Kisaragi, she didn't show it. She just kept sitting idly on the swing. As Kisaragi approached the girl, she slowly reached out a hand towards her shoulder.

Suddenly, the girl whirled around in her swing and grabbed Kisaragi's wrist with both of her hands. For the first time, Kisaragi saw the girl's expression change as she stared at Kisaragi with a look filled with white fury, and several visions flashed across Kisaragi's eyes: A dirty cage, a bloody operating table, men screaming as they burned to a crisp, their skin crackling like chicken in an oven. And through it all, like something rising from the depths, a shrill, piercing shriek. A shriek that was coming from Kisaragi herself.

* * *

Elsewhere in the facility, two security guards were stationed in a large room. At the center of this room was a cage, and inside this cage, a young woman was held captive. The cage itself wasn't what kept her contained. In fact, the bars were spaced out far enough for a person to walk through them. The girl herself was bound to a platform by a straitjacket. A large, metal mask covered her face.

One of the guards casually walked up to the cage, making sure to stand outside of the bars. He studied the captive girl for what must have been the hundredth time that day. It was strange to think that he could stand so close to someone capable of mass genocide and remain unharmed, but he had been well informed of this particular Diclonius. No objects or persons within a two-meter radius, which is why he didn't go past the cage.

As he was lost in thought, his phone rang. Slightly startled, the guard took it out of his pocket and checked to see who it was. How could someone be calling him, anyways? He was in an underground facility.

SLAM!

Both guards jumped as Lucy slammed one of her vectors down on the floor behind them, and the guard who had pulled out his phone dropped it in surprise. He instinctively reached out to catch it as it fell toward the bars.

"No, don't!" shouted the other guard as his companion reached for the cells, but he need not worry. The guard was able to grab his phone just as it was about to slide past the cell. As he grabbed the phone, he felt a brush of air against his hand, and the guard knew how close he had come to being hurt by Lucy's arms, or vectors as they were known.

"You idiot," said the other guard, "Do you have any idea what Lucy would've done to you if you had stuck your hand through that cell?"

"It's fine," said the other guard as he pocketed his phone, forgetting that someone had tried to call him. He studied Lucy with contempt, "we just have to stay focused, and not let anything take us by surpri-"

The guard's speech was abruptly cut off as he turned around and saw himself staring face to face with something more horrid than he could ever imagine.

Standing before the two guards was a woman. She was naked and unnaturally emaciated, as if someone had simply stretched skin over a skeleton and had called it a day. The guards could even see her rib cage. Her limbs were thin and spindly, her skin was pallid and raw, and her hair was grimy and unkempt, but through that mess of hair, two burning red eyes filled with pain stared at the men. The guards forgot where they were at that point. Screaming in fright at the monster in front of them, the two men leaped back.

Right into the two-meter radius of Lucy's cage.

The guards didn't even have enough time to realize their mistake before Lucy attacked them, her invisible vectors ripping their flesh as easily as paper. From the offal, Lucy used her vectors to fish out the key which she used to unlock the harness and remove her straitjacket, leaving her body naked, but free. Though she could've simply ducked her head under the bars of her cage, Lucy found it more satisfying to tear down the bars that kept her captive, watching her vectors twist the metal like taffy.

Stepping out of her cell, Lucy looked at the gaunt woman in front of her, who hadn't moved while Lucy had broken free. Lucy walked up to her.

"Alma," spoke Lucy, and she reached out a hand to touch the side of her face. She remembered when she had first met Alma in that orphanage, how close the two of them were, and how sad she had been when she had been taken from her all these years ago.

Alma had gently moved her own hand over the one Lucy had on her face. Her lips formed into a smile, and her yellow eyes seemed to no longer glow with pain, but something warm and comforting. Her form changed, and suddenly Alma was a little girl in a red dress, just as Lucy had last remembered her. She wrapped her arms around Lucy's waist, pressed the side of her head against her stomach, and began to happily hum. Tears began to stream down the eyeholes of Lucy's mask as she stroked Alma's hair.

"I knew you would come for me."

Meanwhile, the facility's alarm had just gone off.

* * *

Upstairs, a squad of armed guards had formed a barrier, their machine guns pointed at the big metal door that led to Lucy's room. They were all that stood between the Diclonius and the exit. At the center of the group was Kurama, looking greatly troubled. He had assembled the guards as soon as he'd heard about Lucy's escape. The giant metal doors abruptly opened, and there stood Lucy. The men readied their weapons, waiting for her to move. A loud scream made several of the guards jump, and a few almost fired off their guns in surprise. Kisaragi came running out of the side hall, crying loudly, only to fall flat on her face right in front of Lucy.

"Kisaragi!" shouted Kurama. He started to move forward but was restrained by a couple of guards.

Kisaragi looked up at Kurama from the floor, tears streaming down her face.

"M-Mr. Kurama," she sobbed, "I-I saw the girl. She...She…"

"Run, Kisaragi!" yelled Kurama as he struggled against the guards, "Run away, now!"

Kisaragi noticed something behind her, and turned to see what the guards were aiming at.

"Lucy, don't!" screamed Kurama, but it was too late.

Kisaragi had time to notice that the woman in front of her wasn't wearing clothes before Lucy tore her head right off her shoulders, and blood sprayed from her severed neck like water from a fountain as Kisaragi's corpse fell to the ground. Only her head remained held up by Lucy's vectors, hovering in the air. It still had that same slightly surprised expression.

"SHOOT HER!" shouted Kurama.

The guards opened fire, but Lucy quickly lifted Kisaragi's corpse with her vectors and held it in front of her as a meatshield, successfully blocking the storm of bullets. Lucy's vector fished out a pen from Kurama's pocket and threw it at the guard that was restraining Kurama. The pen burrowed through his temple and shot out of the other side of his head, and Kurama winced as a bit of the guard's blood splattered against his cheek. Once the guards had emptied their rounds, Lucy unceremoniously dropped Kisaragi's corpse and started towards the guards at a casual pace.

"Shoot her, don't hesitate!" said Kurama.

"We're out of ammo!" replied one of the guards. In an act of desperation, one of the men broke rank and attempted to charge Lucy, his gun raised. The moment he got within two meters, he began to feel a slight pressure in his chest, and then his heart popped out of his back, having been torn out by a vector. The reckless guard fell down dead, while the disembodied heart flew across the room, hitting on of the guards painlessly in the chest, It was few moments before the organ stopped beating.

When Lucy reached the guards, her vectors attacked and dismembered the guards within her reach, all except Kurama, who stood frozen in horror as Lucy casually strolled by him. The situation had turned into bad, but the casualties hadn't been as bad as he'd originally feared. It didn't seem like a total disaster. But then Alma happened.

 _My turn._

Those two words resounded telepathically in the minds of Kurama and the remaining guards, and for the latter group, it was the last thought they had. A few of them noticed the little girl in red standing near them, but most were still too focused on Lucy walking away. It didn't really matter. They all spontaneously combusted, the fire melted the flesh off of their bones like a popsicle off a stick.

Kurama yelled in surprise, shielding his face from the heat. Lowering his arms, he took in the charred, smoking skeletons that had once been his security team with a mixture of shock and revulsion. And standing in the middle of the carnage, smiling eerily, was a little girl in red, and in that instant, Kurama realized that none of his employees had actually brought their children to work.

 _They deserve to die. They all deserve to die._

Kurama couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He knew this girl was going to kill him just like the others, so what was the point?

"No, Alma."

Kurama looked toward the sound of the voice. At the other end of the hall, Lucy had turned her head and was looking at Alma and himself. He hadn't recognized her voice at first. It had been so long since he'd heard Lucy speak.

"Not him," she said, "Not yet."

Kurama turned back to Alma, but to his surprise, the girl had mysteriously vanished. Lucy turned forward and continued walking away. Gathering all his resolve, Kurama took out his radio and called for a sniper.

Lucy pounded on the giant main door, but though her vectors dented the metal, she was unable to break through. A noise to her left caught her attention, and she turned to see that a slightly smaller door had conveniently opened, leading out to a cliff overlooking the sea. Lucy stepped outside and smiled beneath her mask as she approached the edge of the cliff. She smiled beneath her helmet. At long last, she was free. It felt so good to breathe in the fresh air, to feel the grass beneath her feet and the wind against her skin, to see the vast sky and the sparkling ocean. This is what freedom felt like, and with her best friend by her side, nothing would stand in thei-

 _BEHIND YOU!_

Hearing her friend's warning, Lucy instinctively turned her head, and a sharp, solid force painfully slammed into the side of her skull, splitting open her helmet and sending Lucy flying over the cliff and into the sea.

* * *

"Dang it!" said Kurama as he watched Lucy fall over the cliff. He turned to the sniper next to him in a room overlooking the cliff, "Your shot didn't finish her off!"

The sniper opened his mouth to respond but was unable to say anything before he was burnt to a crisp. Kurama stepped back in fright as Alma appeared in front of him. She no longer looked like a little girl anymore, as she had taken on her more haggish form. Kurama wouldn't have recognized her if not for those angry yellow eyes. Those eyes told him that this emaciated woman and that little girl were somehow one and the same.

Alma glared at Kurama with a look of hate and rage. Kurama could feel the fury emanating from her like heat from the sun. She raised her hand and pointed a threatening finger at Kurama.

 _Not yet._

Kurama could feel his head throb. It was as if the words were burning his brain. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, trying to alleviate the pain, and when he opened his eyes again, Alma was gone. Kurama was somehow unsurprised. He regarded the charred remains of the sniper. He had always dreaded the day that Lucy might break free, but there were contingencies in place in the event that she escaped, and with a body count like Lucy's it wouldn't be hard to track her location. But now there was this other girl. What had Lucy called her?

"Alma," said Kurama aloud. Nobody heard him.

* * *

 **Hi, everyone. It feels good to be back writing Fanfiction! I know this isn't a Naruto/God of War story like last time, but I've had the idea for this Fanfiction for quite some time.** **A psychic phantom _and_ a Diclonius becoming best friends? How could I resist? Please leave a review if you can, and I will catch you all later!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **The next day…**

The sun was shining warmly as Kouta and Yuka walked along the shores of Yuigahama Beach. Yuka had been thrilled when she found out that her cousin Kouta would be moving in with her, and as soon as he'd arrived she eagerly suggested that they go to the beach that they used to visit when they were kids. Now, she and Kouta were nostalgically strolling across the dunes, looking out toward the vast ocean.

"We used to play here a lot, didn't we, Kouta?" asked Yuka. Kouta had been silent since they had come to the beach, and it was making her uncomfortable. He hadn't seen her in several years. Did he not want to come?

Kouta, who was staring off into space, blinked and nodded his head.

"Yes," he concurred, "The three of us, including Kanae, came here on the last day. She...She was collecting seashells here."

Yuka frowned. How could she forget about what had happened to Kanae? She should have known that this would trigger memories of his late sister. Was it a mistake to bring him here? She began to say something, but then her gaze drifted toward a lone figure and her voice froze.

Standing about twenty feet in front of them in the shallow tides was a nude girl. She had long pink hair, reddish eyes, and what appeared to be horns. She was also bleeding from a cut on her head. As Kouta and Yuka stared, the girl cupped her face in her hands, as if trying to concentrate, and then looked up at them.

"Nyu?"

* * *

15 meters out at sea, the top half of Alma's head slowly rose out of the water, her long dark hair flowing around her in the water like tiny black eels. Yellow eyes locked onto the people at shore. Lucy was free. At long last she and her best friend would be together, just as Lucy had promised! She would not let anything come between them ever again. Alma watched Lucy interact with the two strangers. What was Lucy doing with those people? Why hadn't she killed them like the others? They had both decided many years ago that killing was the best way to deal with people that they didn't know. You don't like who you don't know, and if you don't like them, why not kill them? And if you really don't like them, then you killed them slow.

Alma began slowly heading toward the shore. If Lucy was having trouble killing these people, then Alma would kill them for her. Friends help each other, right? And she was Lucy's best friend. She would make sur-

Alma paused. The memories that these strangers had were...familiar. As she studied their thoughts, the two people looked out past Lucy towards her. They didn't see her, but Alma saw them, and she recognized who they were.

It was the Boy, and the girl was apparently his Cousin.

The Boy had grown since Alma had seen them, and judging by his emotions, it appeared that the Boy did not recognize Lucy, which puzzled Alma. Surely the Boy would have remembered what the two of them had done to his family, but as she scanned the Boy's mind, Alma was intrigued to discover that his memories were clouded and muddled, and were replaced with poorly-constructed recollections of a car crash and an illness. He had repressed his memories. How interesting.

Alma hesitated as she pondered what to do. Ordinarily, she would have killed them both, but she remembered what she had promised Lucy long ago, and best friends did not break promises. So for now, The Boy would live, as would The Cousin, but when The Boy's gaze drifted toward her, Alma couldn't resist giving him a little reminder about his buried past.

* * *

As Kouta was looking at the mysterious girl's injuries, his gaze drifted past her and out to see. It was strange, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. As his gaze drifted over the currents, he noticed something bobbing in the water, but before he could get a better look, his vision drastically altered. It was sunset, and he looked to be standing in some sort of park. He could see the silhouetted outlines of two girls. It all felt so vivid.

" _Liar."_

...So familiar...

"Kouta!" shouted Yuka.

Kouta blinked and looked towards his cousin, "What is it?"

"I've been saying that we should take her to your place for now," insisted Yuka as she gestured towards the other girl, "The place where you'll be living from now on."

Kouta nodded in agreement, but as they were leaving the beach, he looked back towards the sea, and saw nothing but waves.

* * *

Eventually, Kouta, Yuka, and the girl they decided to call Nyu arrived at Maple House. Yuka had previously explained to Kouta that the house had once been a restaurant, but he still wasn't prepared for how big it was. He and Yuka would be living here by themselves? The house was big enough to house ten times their number. As they entered, Nyu ran ahead, feeling very uncomfortable. She needed to pee really badly. As she looked around for somewhere to go, she spotted someone watching her. It was a young girl standing right against the window. Her face was blank like a dolls, but her yellow eyes were scaring Nyu.

 _...Lucy…_

"N-N-Nyu! NYUUU!" screamed Nyu. She fell to her knees as her bladder finally gave out, and she peed all over the floor. Kouta and Yuka glanced at Nyu, then glanced at the window, but there was nobody there.

* * *

Kurama studied the twisted metal that had once caged the most dangerous creature in the whole world. All the tiresome precautions and heavy security and she had still managed to break out of the facility in less than thirty minutes. As shocked as he had initially been, a smaller, smarter part of him had always known that it was only a matter of time before she broke free. And as if things weren't terrible enough, he now had to deal with…

"Alma," he stated in a calm tone, his eyes still focused on the ruined cage, "What do we know about her?"

Deputy director Shirakawa, who had been waiting for him to speak, looked towards him then down at the paperwork she had.

"Based on eyewitness reports, she seems to have heavy pyrokinetic abilities," she stated, "Also, she seems capable of moving across great distances almost instantaneously."

"What did the footage from the security feed show?"

Pause.

"What. Did they show?" repeated Kurama. There was an edge in his voice.

"Um, the feedback was reviewed, but whenever Alma appeared, the cameras acted up, and there was nothing but static. We don't have any footage of her."

The headache that Kurama had been dreading had finally started. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Lucy had escaped, and between dealing with casualty reports and being chewed out by Chief Kakuzawa, Kurama was feeling drained. But she hadn't just escaped. She'd vanished. She and Alma, her friend that she had often asked about.

"The cause of the shutter system anomaly has not yet been determined," continued Shirakawa. Kurama snapped back into focus and finally turned his gaze to her.

"In time we'll sort it out," he stated plainly, "Right now the priority is finding Lucy and her friend and killing them."

"Killing them?" asked Shirakawa, "Not capturing them?"

"A Special Assault Team has been assembled," continued Kurama, "Having Lucy in the open is already a catastrophe, but if she's with this girl Alma, then mankind will surely perish."

It was a grand statement, but Kurama didn't feel like he was exaggerating. He wasn't even entirely confident that the Assault Team would be enough to handle Lucy and Alma, especially when he had such limited information about the latter. In retrospect, he wondered why he was so surprised that Alma had turned out as strange as Lucy. Anyone who stayed close enough to that monster had to be unnatural as well. But if Lucy and her friend had escaped, then why were they so silent? He would have expected to hear reports of mass heart attacks throughout the region, typical of Diclonius behavior. But now, as the soldiers would say, Lucy had gone dark, and this troubled him.

* * *

After cleaning Nyu's mess, Kouta had started unpacking things, setting up his residence in Maple House while Nyu quietly watched him like a puppy, wearing a white undershirt and shorts that had been provided by Yuka after her little accident. As Kouta finished unpacking, Yuka walked in.

"I did a quick cleanup of the place, so you owe me," she said with a wink.

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Kouta. He was feeling too tired to argue with his cousin.

There was a brief pause before Yuka spoke. "Kouta, have you seen anyone else in the house besides me and Nyu?"

Kouta looked up from his luggage. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was upstairs making the bed when I thought I heard someone giggling. It sounded like a little girl's voice."

Kouta frowned. "I didn't hear anything," he replied.

Yuka shrugged.

"It might have just been the wind," she said. Then she grinned mischievously, "Or maybe even a ghost."

"Does Maple House have any history of hauntings?"

"I don't think so," said Yuka, "But I guess hauntings have to start somewhere."

"I think one extra resident might be too much," said Kouta. He looked over at Nyu, who had been watching the scene with rapt attention.

"Maybe we should've called the police," stated Yuka. At first, the idea of having a guest at Maple House had sounded fun, but now it felt awkward.

"Maybe," agreed Kouta. Nyu had begun rummaging through the luggage and picked out a small box. She studied it for a moment, but then lost interest and dropped it on the ground. The lid fell off and a pink seashell tumbled out of the box and onto the floor. Yuka leaned down for a closer look.

"Isn't that from the last time we went to the beach?" she asked, gesturing toward the shell.

"Yeah," said Kouta. He gazed at the shell, and his mind began to wander off to that day he had spent with his sister, Kanae. She had been so happy to find such a lovely looking shell on the beach and had decided to give it to her brother as a present. It was one of the last good memories he had of his sister.

"She got sick and died shortly after," said Kouta, a hint of sadness in his voice, "This is like a memento, and since I came back here, I decided to take it with me."

"Kouta…" began Yuka, but stopped herself. She couldn't think of anything to say or do that would make her cousin feel better.

Nyu felt differently.

She had been quietly listening while Kouta and Yuka had been speaking, and had noticed how sad Kouta had gotten when he had picked up the shell. Clearly, it was making him feel bad, so the solution was obvious. She quickly swiped the shell from Kouta's hand and snapped it in half. She then looked at Kouta and gave him a big smile, as if expecting some sort of praise.

Kouta stared at her in shock. "What're you…!"

"Kouta," said Yuka in a cautious tone, but he wasn't listening. He stood up and roughly grabbed Nyu by her shirt.

"What're you doing?!" he yelled in her surprised face, "I said it was a memento from my-"

 _HANDS OFF!_

The words seemed to penetrate through Kouta's mind with all the agony and precision of a heated drill. He immediately let go of Nyu and fell to the floor, clutching his head as he screamed in pain. Nyu, frightened by Kouta's sudden shift in behavior, also screamed as she ran out of the room.

Yuka was instantly at Kouta's side, and though her voice was raised, it initially sounded to him like she was calling out from a distance. "Kouta! Kouta, are you okay?"

Kouta blinked heavily. The pain was already beginning to fade, and he just now began to realize that he was laying on the floor. "I'm alright, Yuka," he replied, "It...it was just a migraine."

"Some migraine!" exclaimed Yuka in a worried, shaken tone, "I've never heard you scream like that in my life!"

"I'm fine, Yuka," Insisted Kouta, and in fact he was fine. The headache had subsided almost as quickly as it had come, but while the voice in his head is silent, he can still remember the message with grim clarity.

Hands off.

"Yuka," asked Kohta, "Where's Nyu?"

"Nyu?" Seeing Kouta in pain had made Yuka completely forget about their guest, but as she looked around, she realized that she had left, and judging by the open door, she had fled Maple House.

"I think she may have left," answered Yuka, "We should look for her. "

"Look for her if you want," said Kouta as he glared at the broken halves of the shell that Nyu dropped, "But good riddance, I say."

Yuka frowned. "She didn't mean to offend you, Kouta. Maybe...since you looked sad...I think she might have thought that the seashell was bad."

Kouta was upset about the seashell, but there was something else that troubled him. The migraine-inducing message had struck him just as he had grabbed Nyu. Hands off. It was short, but it was clearly directed toward him mishandling Nyu. Had Nyu done it? It was the only answer Kouta could think of, but it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Nyu had always acted pleasant, and had never displayed any of the aggression that he had felt in the message, and if she had sent it to him, then why had she fled in fear? Could it have been someone else?

* * *

During the day, especially in the summer, the great city of Kamakura was a veritable tourist trap. Though perhaps not as hip as Tokyo, the city nonetheless offered a warm reception toward people who were interested in simple city life of Japan. There were plenty of Shinto and Buddhist shrines, with statues that gazed down at whatever tourist group was passing by with solemn expressions on their stony faces. The beaches were also particularly pleasant during the right time of year, and hundreds of people came out to relax and swim. Tonight, however, a storm was raging, and the thought of stepping outside to catch a tan certainly wasn't on anyone's mind. Even the local tanning salon was closed this late at night.

The sheeting rain and dark streets blended together to create an almost desolate scene, where nature is cut loose and running wild, and humanity has temporarily retreated as they remember how small they really are. Lightning danced across the sky in arcs, preceded by loud claps of thunder. It was as if the gods themselves were setting off bombs in the sky. At the edge of the now barren Yuigahama beach was a row of old huts that had once been used by fishermen, back before Kamakura had turned to tourism for economic stability. Having long since been abandoned, the huts now seemed to sag against the debris and litter surrounding them, as if the amount of trash were somehow suffocating the wooden huts. During town meetings, someone would state that the huts should be demolished, while someone else would insist that they be renovated instead, and the whole argument would be tabled. It was almost as if Kamakura had its own secret little agenda, one that involved leaving the huts just as they were.

Given that many of the huts still had functioning roofs, it was no real surprise that there was a regular stream of complaints about homeless people squatting in that area. (It was, in fact, one of the main arguments used in the attempt to destroy the huts.) Tonight, however, there's only one person in this area who is worth mentioning in this story: A young girl barely out of her teens. She's not even in one of the huts, having made a small shelter out of old fishing crates and a tarp. She sits underneath it, shivering despite her woolen turtleneck sweater. and clutches a small damp bundle of fur to her chest for warmth. The bundle squirms slightly, and it's in fact not a bundle at all, but a tiny little dog named Wanta. The girl, who looks to barely be out of her teens, looks anything but comfortable, but she has been through worse situations than this, and a little rain is nothing compared to the terror that is waiting for her at home. She will endure the wet and the cold, and tomorrow, she and her little friend will stop by the nearby bakery, where, with a little luck, the nice woman running the place might have some spare bread crumbs for them, just enough to make it through the next day or two. For now though, she will remain with her friend beneath their shelter, and wait out the storm. The thunder is loud, but through it, the girl is able to hear something else: a steady, mechanical roar of a buzzer.

Mayu looks up just in time to see a military-grade helicopter pass overhead.

* * *

The chopper was buzzing loudly, but as they listened to the mission brief, the SAT troops inside hardly noticed or cared. It had been a good long while since they had been assigned a mission like this, where details on the targets were relatively vague, but the level of risk was all to clear. It added an air of suspense that made the mission seem all the more thrilling to them, including Bando. Especially Bando. The chief giving the briefing had little intel to give about the first target,, and even less to say about the second.

"As of right now, we are unable to effectively establish the full extent or origins of her abilities," announced the chief over the roar of the chopper's rotor, "But what has been made plainly clear is that this girl, who we believe is named Alma," (Bando rolled his eyes. What a stupid name.) "Possesses the ability to manifest herself seemingly of nowhere, is able to alter her appearance, and can combust several men sooner than you could light a match."

He paused to let these facts sink in.

"We have alerted local authorities about our two little fugitives, and right now, local law is busy pushing the city. This leaves us to scan the shores and countryside."

The speech was punctuated by Bando's loud yawn. It was obvious how little he cared for any of this. He felt like a high school student sitting through a history lecture in class. He didn't want to be lectured, he wanted to shoot live people and watch them bleed. Though definitely not the most mentally sound desire for a young man to have, it was this bloodlust that had molded him into a good soldier, one of the best in fact, which is why he was out here on this transport, about to hunt down two extremely dangerous targets. Extremely dangerous. In this context, he loved those words, as well as the options they gave, like firing at will and without warning. He promptly stood up in the middle of the chief's lecture and walked to the back of the chopper. He casually flicked a switch and watched as the cargo doors of the chopper slowly opened, revealing the sea moving rapidly beneath him as the chopper flew forward.

"Bando, what do you think you're doing?" shouts the chief, angry at being interrupted.

Bando looks back at the chief with an aggressive grin, "This target is someone we can shoot without warning, right? Then it's hunt or be hunted. It's one or the other! Hurry up and drop me off!"

* * *

As Bando opened his door to the storm, Yuka closed her door to it. She had just come back after spending about half an hour searching for Nyu in vain, although she felt that staying within a hundred yards of her house while shouting "Nyu!" against the relentless sound of the rain could barely be considered searching, but she didn't want to leave Kouta alone after he had suffered his headache. Now Nyu would no doubt catch pneumonia, or at the very least, a nasty cold, and it would be on them, although she couldn't blame Kouta for being so harsh. When she had gone back into the room where all of the drama had taken place, she had found Kouta there, and instantly knew that he hadn't budged from his spot since she had gone out searching. He was still sitting in the same spot looking at the two fragments of the shell that had been a gift from his late sister with an expression of despondency, as well as another emotion, but from where Yuka stood, she couldn't see it clearly.

"Did you find her?" asked Kouta without looking away from the broken shell.

"No," answered Yuka as she sat down next to Kouta with a sigh, "And now she's out there lost in the rain."

Kohta grunted in acknowledgment, but he still didn't look away from the shells. When he spoke, his tone was calm, but with a noticeable bit of apprehension.

"Yuka, something happened to me when I shouted at Nyu. I heard this...this voice inside my head, shouting 'hands off.' I think that's what triggered my headache."

Yuka frowned in puzzlement. "You had a voice in your head? You're sure it wasn't your own thoughts?"

Kouta finally turned his gaze away from the shell to look at his cousin, and Yuka finally realized what that other expression in Kouta's face had been, and it was this emotion that made her believe her cousin.

Fear.

"It wasn't me, Yuka," he said with a sense of confidence that was somewhat timid, "I know my own thoughts, and I've never had a headache that severe from them. I heard a voice. It...it was like a speaker going off in my head, but...it wasn't my own voice. It sounded like a woman's."

"Nyu's?" asked Yuka.

Kouta shrugged. Honestly, he couldn't even tell at this point. The pain in his head had taken up most of his memory, leaving little else to remember. He started to say this but was caught off guard by a sudden knock at the front door. He jumped slightly, startled by the sudden, almost intrusive noise. Yuka, however, always remembering her courtesy, was already halfway to the door before Kouta had settled. She opened the door to find two suited men standing at the door, both of which looking surprised that someone had answered.

"I always thought this place was vacant," said the man who had knocked.

"Oh, we just moved in today," said Yuka with a cheerful smile, though with Nyu missing and Kouta upset, she certainly didn't feel all that cheerful, "How can we help you?"

The second man took out is wallet from his trench coat and flashed a badge, "We're detectives, and we'd like to ask you a few questions to aid our investigation."

Yuka's smile dropped slightly, "Investigation? What's going on?"

Now it was the first detective's turn to take something out of his jacket: a photo of a person. He held it up for Yuka to see, and when she saw it, her already fading smile dropped completely. It was a photo of Nyu, but the expression she wore made her look completely different from the shy creature that had peed on their floor earlier today. The eyes in the photo looked back at Yuka with a stare that could freeze a desert, and her mouth was the flat frown of a person who is dead inside.

Kouta walked up beside Yuka "What's going on-" He then saw the photo of the thing that looked like Nyu and for a moment, his voice caught in his throat. It didn't last long, but it was enough time for Yuka to find her own voice.

"Officers," she said, trying her hardest to keep an even, steady tone, "What do you want with this girl? Did she do something wrong?"

The younger of the two detectives, the one who had flashed his badge, looked annoyed. He and his partner had spent all evening going from door to door with what he felt was a wild goose chase, expecting to find answers to their questions, only to end up answering the same questions.

"Why don't you leave the interrogating to us?" he asked agitatedly, "Have you seen her or not?"

His older partner shot him a look, but honestly, the younger detective felt proud that he had held himself together this far, and hadn't lost his temper five houses down, when the elderly lady living there had tried to sic her yapping dog on them, only to have the thing try and pee on his shoes.

"She's a missing person, that's all," said the older detective, "We also believe she might be accompanied with a little girl in a red dress. Have you seen either of them?"

"Sorry detectives," said Yuka, staring at the photo so she wouldn't have to meet the detectives' gaze, "We haven't seen either of them."

The detective holding up the photo nodded and put the photo away. The bluff seemed to work. In the back of her mind, Yuka recalled reading somewhere that people tended to believe the answer that they expected to hear.

"Well, if you happen to run into either of them, be sure to let us know," the officer turned to his partner, "Let's go."

The two men turned around and walked back out their nearby vehicle. Yuka watched them go, and it wasn't until their car had driven off that she felt safe enough to turn around. In the hallway, she saw that Kouta had been standing several feet behind her, a pensive expression on his face. She wondered how much her cousin had heard, and if he had seen the disturbing image of the girl that had recently been in their home.

"Kouta, are you okay?"

He looked up at her, his gaze steady and grave.

"We should go look for Nyu. Together, this time."

The declaration surprised Yuka. She thought that Kouta might have still been angry, but she didn't question his judgment. After all, she too was worried about Nyu. She fetched an umbrella from the door and the two of them headed out into the rain.

* * *

Out by the beach, two men from the Special Assault Team were patrolling the wet dunes, decked out in combat armor, ballistic helmets, machine guns, the works. Bando was leading the patrol, and he had the eager expression that a child might have when they're about to go see a horror movie, one packed with awesome gory violence that was cool to watch. The man behind him, Satou, did not look quite as fervent. He thumbed his walkie-talkie and radioed in an update for the sixth time that night.

"Satou from Bando Group. We've arrived at Yuigahama. We're continuing the search."

The hand holding the radio returned to gripping the barrel of his gun with tight apprehension. His gaze traveled toward Bando, who was looking over at the lit buildings across the beach.

"We're only authorized to search the coastlines," reminded Satou, "We're to stay away from populated areas."

"That's up to our enemy," replied Bando cooly, but his eyes turned back to the shore. Satou felt a small sense of relief at this, (In this line of work, collateral damage made for a massive inconvenience in several ways,) but he did not feel entirely eased.

"They said that our enemy carries a special weapon," continued Satou," But what do you think it is? I don't know how to handle it if it's a weapon we don't know anything about. And the other one, do you really believe she can just materialize and set others on fire without gas and a lighter? What if it's some kind of special weapon? I doubt we'll be able to-"

Bando suddenly whirled around, pointing his gun at his squadmate's chest. His mask covered his face, but Satou could still see the Bando's anger and frustration in his narrowed eyes and clenched teeth.

"SHUT UP!" he roared, "Would it kill you to shut your mouth? If you don't quit whining, you'll be the first casualty."

Satou opened his mouth to either reason or beg for his life, but then spots something over Bando's shoulder, about twenty yards from them.

"Uh, Bando..."

Bando looks behind him at what Satou has seen, and a smile spreads across his face. A smile that is both fierce and genuine.

"Bingo!"

* * *

Nyu walked along the shore, looking out toward the sea where she had come from. She had wanted to return to a happier place, where her friends had looked at her with concern rather than scorn, but with the nightly rain, things just didn't feel the same. She could still hear the anger in Kouta's voice, and all when she had been trying to help him feel better. Now, she was hated. Unwanted. It all felt familiar for some reason

As Nyu stood by the shore watching the dark waves, she had the strange, unexplained sense that comes when you feel that you're being watched, but don't quite know someone's watching you. It's an uncomfortable feeling, made all the more unsettling for Nyu out in the dark wet rain.

"Nyu," she muttered to herself as she covered her eyes and began to childishly shake her head in stress, "Nyuuuu!"

Strangely enough, her little ritual actually seemed to work. She didn't feel so cold or wet anymore. She opened her eyes, and blinked. What she was suddenly seeing still remained, even after she blinked again. She was no longer standing on the beach. There was no rain in her face, nor any sand between her toes. She was in a hallway, and though her stunted memory limited her perception, many would have noted the candy-colored walls and the small classroom chairs and recognized the setting as a school. But of course, Nyu had no idea what a school was, and she sure as heck didn't know where _she_ was.

 _You do know._

Nyu let out a startled yelp and whirled around, looking to see who had spoken. The voice didn't sound like it was coming from anywhere.

 _Don't be afraid._

Nyu felt very much like being afraid, and when two figures darted past her, she let out another surprised cry. Whoever they were, they had been small, and had scurried into one of the classrooms before Nyu could get a good look. Despite her panic, Nyu hesitantly started forward, feeling a strange sense of curiosity. What made it strange was that it felt like the curiosity wasn't really from her, but rather something forced in her to make her move forward. It was an indescribable feeling. Nyu walked into the classroom, where sloppy child drawings lined the walls, and tiny chairs and tables were grouped about. Nyu saw the two girls, sitting together at a table near the corner whispering to each other quietly. She couldn't hear them, but she recognized one of the girls as the one who had been following her, the girl with the long black hair and creepy yellow eyes. The other girl looked a lot like Nyu, only younger.

 _This is where we met. It's where we became friends._

The yellow-eyed girl had turned away from her friend and was now staring intently at Nyu, and Nyu, for whatever reason, no longer felt afraid, though this did not mean that she felt good. Who was this girl? Did she know her? How could-

A sharp pain stabbed Nyu through the lower left-hand side she cried out and the classroom seemed to shatter around her. She could feel the rain again, and the sudden sensation of cold water on her face was almost as big a shock as whatever had hit her in the back. She yelled again and fell onto her legs, as the dark, depressing shores returned around her, and the dream collapsed into the storm.

* * *

"Got her!" exclaimed Bando with ferocious glee. In truth, the shot hadn't been enough to truly "get" their target, only enough to send her to the ground with a painful flesh wound. But that moment of terror and agony that had filled her eyes as the bullet had torn into her was truly beautiful to a killer like Bando. He recognized it as the moment when a predator realizes that they have just been shot down to prey. Now, it was time for the final act. He walked up to Nyu, his rifle cocked at her, expecting any moment for the girl, who had been designated as a top-level threat, to stand up and savagely lunge at him and his partner, who was following behind Bando a few feet away.

"Any sign of the other target?" asked Satou, "If we found Lucy, then Alma ought to be close by as well."

Bando didn't bother answering. He could deal with the other girl later. Right now, it was Lucy that had earned his special attention.

Satou pulled out his radio to update HQ, pausing for a moment to wipe the rain off his visor. He could barely see bando in through the wet and the dark, and he certainly didn't spot the other figure that was standing about 20 yards away from them, watching the scene with cold, yellow eyes.

"This is Satou at Bandoh Group. We captured someone who appears to be Lucy. We're at Yuighama-"

He got no farther as Bando whirled around, striking Satou with the butt of his rifle. The radio dropped and Bando crushed it beneath his heel, digging shards of plastic into the sand.

"Don't do anything without my orders!" he snarled. He looked back down at Lucy, who was clutching the wound as she whimpered, and Bando smiled. "Especially when the fun is only starting."

He placed a heavy boot on the quivering mass, rolling her over onto her back. He aimed down the sights at Lucy, but didn't fire.

"Word is you're some kind of stone-cold killer," he sneered, "So why don't you show me what you got? Let's rock n' roll!"

Nyu started crying, nothing more. Bando frowned, the way people do when they believe somebody is trying to pull one over them, and promptly kicked Nyu in the side. It wasn't even hard enough to crack a rib, but the crybaby's sobbing seemed to double, her tears mixing with the rain pouring down on her face.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" he shouts, "Are you a killer or not? Put up a fight! Come on!"

Nothing. Freaking nothing.

Satou watched Bando as his face began to get angrier, but then all of a sudden, he let out a sigh, and the white rage that had filled him only moments ago seemed to be gone. There was nothing but disappointment.

"Man," he sighed, "What a letdown." he turned and began to trudge away from the cowering girl. "Satou, shoot the girl."

Satou was taken aback by this statement. Bando wanting someone else to take the kill? He would have been less surprised if Bando had told Satou to shoot him.

"Sir…"

"I said shoot her!" snapped Bando, not even bothering to turn around, "That's an order, soldier!" He pulled off his helmet, stuck a cigarette in his mouth, and took out a lighter, trying to set it alight.

"Yes, sir." Satou raised his rifle toward Nyu. He aimed down the sights at the huddled girl. It was all over pretty quickly. For a brief moment, Satou felt oddly warm, as if his blood had begun to simmer, then at the same moment that Bando's lighter gave off a tiny flicker of flame, Satou spontaneously combusted. Fire burst out of him from every orifice, his hair singed and his ski crackled like chicken in an oven. His flesh fell off his bones in burning chunks, and by the time Bando had fully turned around, all that remained of his partner was a few charred bones, barely standing out amidst the dark sand surrounding it.

Alma's patience was at an end.

* * *

When her friend had run from the big house, away from the Boy and his cousin, Alma had made sure to stay close by. This had actually proven to be a great opportunity to reconnect with Lucy away from the others, people who would not appreciate her for her abilities. However, Lucy had continued to act strangely while wandering across the beach, thinking about that stupid seashell, and when Alma had tried to heal her friend's broken mind with a familiar memory from when they'd first met, where they had gone off together, only for it to be interrupted by those men with guns. They reminded Alma of the guards in the facility where she'd been kept, who beat her if she didn't behave, and would even kick her kennel while she was inside it.

She waited for her friend to strike, to tear that soldier apart like she had done to so many others, but when she didn't, Alma attacked for her. She smiled as she watched the soldier burn to a crisp. She could sense the agony from his mind as it felt the man's body burn. Billions of neurons screaming in a unified agony as the fire claimed him. All for her. For Lucy.

Alma smiled. She was such a good friend.

* * *

Bando had only a second to register Satou's infernal end from over his shoulder, as well as Alma standing nearby with a smile from nightmares, before his partner was nothing but ash and Alma was gone. Nyu was still huddled on the ground, but she...it had ceased being Bando's main concern. Alma had shown up, and unlike her friend, this thing was a real threat. Bando needed to put some distance between him and that monster, but the problem was that it had disappeared, like it had vanished into thin freaking air! But it was still here. He couldn't see it, but somehow Bando could sense that Alma was nearby, like an unpleasant memory that refuses to leave one's mind. Bando sprinted several yards from Lucy and dove for cover behind a nearby overturned boat. He peeked out from above with his rifle raised, and despite his panic, he was somehow unsurprised that he didn't spot Alma. Whoever...no, whatever it was, it knew how to hide.

 _Do you know what else I know?_

The voice, eery and withered, seemed to worm through Bando's ear and into the deepest depths of his brain. He turned to see Alma's wasted face inches from his, but before he could scream the thing had grabbed him. It was on him! The hag was on him!

 _I know what it's like to know only suffering._

Its hands were burning into the flesh of his right arm, melting it like butter. The pain was too great for him to yell as it ripped his limb from his body, making a horrid sound that only torn meat can make, and the right side of Bando's torso seemed to instantly turn red with blood. Alma threw the severed limb behind her without looking away.

 _I know the joy of hurting those who've hurt me._

On instinct, Bando swung his left arm at her in a clumsy chop, but Alma grabbed the arm. She didn't tear it off like the last one, but squeezed it hard, and Bando finally screamed as the bone was crushed to splinters.

 _I know how much pain a person can stand without dying. And you know what else?_

Skeletal hands grabbed Bando's head, forcing his gaze up to hers as she crouched down in front of him. The thick rain had plastered Alma's hair flat against her scalp, making her head resemble a skull cap. This did not help her look any less hellish as she gazed down at Bando with red malice.

 _I know a dead man when I see one._

Her thin thumbs darted out and straight into Bando's pupils, tearing the soft tissue of his eyes as they dug into his sockets. Blood spurted from his eye holes in twin tiny geysers. Bando bellowed in agony.

"I'll kill you!" he finally managed to shout, his voice hoarse from screaming, "I'll kill you, dang it, I'LL KILL YOU!"

Through his own newly found darkness, he felt two hands clamp around his throat in a vice grip, and begin to squeeze.

* * *

It was probably a good thing that Bando had been deprived of his vision, for seeing the ghastly smile that was spreading across Alma's haggard face would've forever plagued him with night terrors. Alma was feeling good. Almost as good as she felt when she'd slaughtered all of those people at that facility. It was often in her nature to kill quick and be done with it. Some fool would get in her way, then _fwoosh_ : nothing but ash. But with her best friend, she had learned that sometimes, taking your time is better. Sweeter. And now, as she strangled the life out of this wretched man beneath the heavy rain, that fact had never been clearer to her than now. And it was all thanks to Luc-

It was at this moment that Alma had suddenly become aware that Lucy was gone. Had she been so wrapped up in this man's torment that she hadn't even noticed when her best friend had left? She looked around, her mind scanning along with her eyes, but both turned up empty.

 _LUCY!_

* * *

Bando yelled out as that name burned through his brain, then paused as he realized that he could in fact yell. He could also breathe. The cold, thin hands that had been throttling him had suddenly vanished, leaving quicker than they'd arrived. He still couldn't see, but there'd be time to stress about that later.

"Where are you?!" he yelled, flailing about in a frenzied manner that all wounded animals seem to know, "If you're so tough, then come back and finish me!"

Through the rain, he heard the soft voice of a girl. "Excuse me. What happened?"

Bando began to thrash around even harder, unsure if the wetness he felt seeping through his body armor was from the rain, or his own blood.

"I swear I'll kill you!" he screamed into the blackness that was now his whole world, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

"Stop moving!" the voice shouted. It was still soft, but this time there was a note of impatience that made Bando hesitate. He tilted his head toward the direction that he thought the voice had come from. Blood flowed from his sockets like thick red tears.

"Who are you?" he asked warily.

"I want to help," the voice replied.

Bando leaned his head back, not answering. He reckoned that beggars couldn't be choosers. Taking his silence for consent, Mayu slowly approached Bando and began wrapping a sheet around his stump of an arm.

* * *

Kouta and Yuka slowly trudged back toward Maple House. They had gone out searching for Nyu, but had been unable to find her. Yuka wanted to keep looking, but, not wanting to catch hypothermia, Kouta advised that they head back home and try again tomorrow. But what good would that be? If they couldn't find Nyu tonight, then they'd certainly be unable to find her tomorrow, when she'd have more time to put more distance between her and the people who'd abused her. It was a shame that she had left before he could even form a solid opinion of her, but then again, it wasn't like he'd been such a great host in the end. _Will I eventually stop believing in her?_ Kouta wondered vaguely. The morning that he'd found her on the beach was already beginning to feel like a lost memory, as vague and insignificant as an old locker combination. Her horns only seemed to make his recollection all the more unreal. And years from now, when he looked at that broken seashell, he would probably believe that it was he who'd broken-

"Kouta!" shouted Yuka excitedly. Kouta looked up from his dull mindset to see Yuka pointing eagerly at the doorstep of Maple house, where a familiar horned figure was sitting hunched up on the steps.

"Nyu, we were so worried!" said Yuka as she happily ran up to her. Kouta's approach to the horned girl was a bit more somber, though it was Kouta that Nyu was looking at. As he approached she slowly stood up and offered him something. Kouta looked down and saw a pink seashell, exactly like the one that his sister had once given him. Kouta stared at the shell for a full ten seconds, then crouched next to Nyu and enfolded her in a hug.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

Mayu stood on the beach with Wanta dripping beside her. She was certain that this was the spot where'd she'd left the wounded man, having gone only for a minute or two to find an ambulance, but now he was gone. Had he just gotten up and walked away. Unlikely, given that his eyes had been gouged. Still, she couldn't think of any other explanation. Hopefully, he was safe.

Mayu turned and headed back to her shelter with Wanta loyally following behind. Amidst the pouring rain, neither of them heard the roar of the helicopter as it flew away.

* * *

Tension was thick as Kurama and Shirakawa walked down the hall. Kurama had just received word from the SAT from Shirakawa. To her surprise, he didn't seem as angry as she'd anticipated, almost as if he'd anticipated SAT's failure in terminating the two targets.

"From the SAT debriefing," continued Shirakawa, attempting to sound as formal as possible despite the bad news, "We can confirm that Lucy ashore, along with this...Alma."

She cleared her throat and resumed. "Agent Bando's testimony indicates that Alma immolated his partner, Agent Satou, before attacking and blinding him."

"And throughout all this, Lucy didn't attack at all?" Kurama asked. He tried to hide the contempt in his question and almost succeeded.

"That's right, sir. She did not attack either of the agents."

Kurama had a hard time believing this, but the blood test he had requested on Bando had come back a negative on the Diclonius Virus, which meant Lucy must not have attacked Bando after all. But why had Alma taken her time with Bando specifically? Why not burn him quick like the others? What was her relation to Lucy? What _was_ Alma?

 _One headache at a time_ , he thought, as he came to a halt before a fiberglass window.

"It doesn't matter," he said as he stared at the being on the other side, "It will not be long before Lucy sinks back into her old habits. Such is the way of monsters."

"Regardless," replied Shirakawa, "I hope we don't have to bring out No. 7."

When Kurama didn't reply, Shirakawa didn't speak up again. Instead, she followed the General Director's gaze toward No. 7, and watched as Nana quietly cried in her blood-stained cell.

"…Papa…"

* * *

"I'm glad you're alright," said The Boy as he helped Lucy to her feet, "Thanks for getting another shell for me."

"Come on, you guys," said The Cousin, "We can rejoice inside, where it's safe and dry. Nyu's been in the rain long enough."

"Of course," said The Boy, and the three of them went inside. A moment later, Alma's bony form emerged from a nearby bush. She walked forward a few steps, then came to a halt about twenty yards from the house. In one hand, she still had Bando's torn arm, and as she studied it, she wondered how it would feel if she were to tear apart The Boy, something she should have done years ago when he had attacked Lucy. But she would never go against her best friend and was willing to take her time and wait a short while if necessary before Lucy would come around, and then nothing would ever hurt them again. Alma smiled as she examined the burnt flesh of her new trophy.

Sometimes, taking your time is better.

Sweeter.

* * *

 **If there is one thing that I cannot stand, it is an unfinished fanfiction. There are so many great stories out there that have been left unfinished. Maybe the writers have their reasons, but it's always a shame to leave a good story incomplete. I know my posts are infrequent, but I promise you all that I _will_ see this thing through to the end. Also, I've got more news: I'm planning a sequel for Hyuga Cestus! Please give good reviews, as they always encourage me to write more, and I will see you guys in the next chapter!**


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